Alexei Kovalev officially retired last week after an NHL career that lasted 1,316 games.

Kovalev, who tallied five points in just 14 games this season for the Florida Panthers, was frustrated by the how his career came to an end.

Alexei Kovalev played in just 14 games with the Florida Panthers. (AP Photo)

“I didn’t have a choice. That’s what has kind of been the frustrating part,” Kovalev told the Montreal Gazette. “Started the season good and everything was going well and, all of sudden, they started pushing me away.

“And I just never understood the idea and what exactly happened. They never really explained to me—the things they’ve been telling me, just didn’t make sense.

“You know what, what can I do? They’ve done their part. They gave me a chance to go back to the NHL. It’s just I feel bad I have to kind of decide to retire on somebody else’s terms, not mine.”

At the time, Panthers general manager Dale Tallon called it a “mutual agreement that we wanted to go in a different direction, that’s all."

Kovalev has 430 goals and 1,029 points in 19 seasons with five teams. He told the newspaper he plans on playing hockey in Europe.